Product Description

From Lucy, the colossal elephant-shaped building on the Jersey Shore, to the grand donut atop Randy's in Los Angeles, this full-colour guide profiles the commercial giants that loom over America's highways. Created to sell products and promote tourism in a big way, they can be found all over the United States. The authors have travelled far and wide to bring readers the world's largest duck in Long Island, an enormous Amish couple in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and towering Paul Bunyans all over the Midwest. There are buildings shaped like hot dogs, ice cream cones, and baskets, as well as the roadside phenomena known as 'Muffler Men', giants who originally advertised mufflers but now have been converted to cowboys, Indians, spacemen, and pirates. Big fun!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #151725 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

From the Back Cover
"Part commercial archaeology, part pure fun, it's America's big, goofy, fiberglass stuff alongside the highway. Don't leave this book in the glove compartment, awaiting your next hair-raising family trip. Read it first and wonder: Is this a great country or what?"
--Karal Ann Marling
Author of The Colossus of Roads

"Filled with the best examples of a fast-disappearing architectural style, this book is a welcome addition to every car culture enthusiast's library. A must for lovers of American popular culture and the built environment."
--Jim Heimann
Author of California Crazy & Beyond

"Brian and Sarah Butko are perfect guides and travel companions as they share the history, cool details, and how-to-get-there information for this all-American, wacky roadside stuff."
--Rick Sebak
Producer of the PBS special A Program about Unusual Buildings & Other Roadside Stuff

About the Author
Brian and Sarah Butko

Customer Reviews

Vacations from childhood
This book really captures all the great memories of going on vacation as a child. The Butko's do a wonderful job of finding all the great places, some off the beaten track and others not so off track, to help make memories for you and your children to take a driving vacation. The best memories seem to be the unplanned stops along the way. The authors make finding unusual spots a whole lot easier. The book is perfect to fit in the glove compartment to have handy no matter where your drive takes you. You are guaranteed to find a spot to stop somewhere along the way. By the authors taking all the guess work out of where to stop I think it will enable you to take in more roadside attractions and easier to plan the vacation. The pictures entice you to want to see all the attractions in person. This book definitely deserves a thumbs up! Great job!

The fun travel guide to exploring the roadside intricacies and oddities of American culture
Readers can discover the eccentric tendencies of American roadways in Roadside Giants co-authored by Brian and Sarah Butko. Roadside Giants is the fun travel guide to exploring the roadside intricacies and oddities of American culture, applying "an-easy-to use" map of America's giants with enhanced with full color pictures, aspect dimensions, address and location and a brief history for each of the dozens of featured places. Roadside Giants is very highly recommended, particularly to the parents of family looking for a fun and interesting travel idea.

A hoot!
Sarah and Brian Butko have another winner with Roadside Giants! Their joy of life comes through loud and clear here as they share with us the wonderful and wacky sights along the open road. Just like their fantastic 'Greetings from the Lincoln Highway' and 'Roadside Attractions', this book will have you packing your suitcases for a road trip, either real or armchair! Either way, you will enjoy this book!